Defective GE Dishwasher

Recently, we were assigned to a case where water damage had occurred inside a residential kitchen.  In this case, the dishwasher was placed in operation and allowed to run while the homeowner was away.  Upon returning, the homeowner discovered that their kitchen and part of their family room had been flooded with water.  After recovering the dishwasher and conducting an examination, it was discovered that the gasket between the drain and tub housing had failed.  The failure resulted in massive water leakage.  The photographs shown below illustrate how water was pouring out of the wash tub housing.  It should be noted that the dishwasher was approximately four years old when the incident occurred.  Dishwashers typically do not experience water leakage at the drain and gaskets last for the lifetime of the appliance.  In this case, the manufacturer used three rotating locks to hold the drain assembly in place while pressing down on the gasket to maintain a seal between the drain and housing.  This particular problem applies to General Electric dishwasher model # GDF520PSJ2SS.  It is recommended that owners with this dishwasher should not leave this appliance in operation with no one in attendance but, instead carefully monitor the operation.  At the first sign of water leakage, turn the dishwasher off.  Doing so will deenergize the water control valve and stop the flow of water into the tub.  However, water will continue to flow out of the area of leakage until the tub is completely drained.  It will become necessary to remove the dishwasher from its position, usually beneath a countertop, in order to dry the floor.  At this point, the homeowner will have a decision to make: have the dishwasher repaired or replace the appliance.  Remember that if the appliance is repaired, because of the design, the appliance will most likely leak again.               

Water observed streaming down from drain area

Close up view of water leaking from drain area

Compact Florescent Lights

Compact florescent lights or CFLs as they are known are supposed to be an energy efficient alternative to incandescent light bulbs. CFLs have been on the market for a few years now and have slowly been gaining acceptance by the general public. But, (and there is a “but”) recently, CFLs have been posing a problem. The problem is that some CFLs have a tendency to explode and cause a fire. The cause of the explosion is a faulty ballast. When the ballast fails, the typical failure mode is one where the ballast emits a small amount of smoke and a burned smell, then fails completely without a fire incident. Also, please be aware that these bulbs are made with mercury. If you must handle a bulb that has exploded, use gloves to protect your hands and wash your hands afterward. The CFL shown above is just one instance where the bulb exploded, ignited the lamp shade and caused damage to an antique stereo cabinet. The damage to the home was minimal although if the fire had not been extinguished quickly, the loss could have been more severe. There currently is no recall for bulbs manufactured by General Electric with the number FLE23HT3/2/10E/SW. It should also be noted that General Electric has elected to stop manufacturing CFL bulbs as of December 31, 2016. For CFLs manufactured by other companies, consumers should check with the company directly to find out if there are any recalls for the bulb(s) they have.  For the time being, LED bulbs seem to be a safer alternative to CFL bulbs.

 

 

General Electric Pays $3.5 million Civil Penalty

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported that it has come to an agreement with General Electric regarding an imposed penalty for not reporting defects in two of its product lines. The products were identified as the “Profile” dual fuel ranges and “Profile and Monogram” dishwashers. According to the CPSC, press release number 15-082 dated February 19, 2015; General Electric had been notified about overheating of a wiring harness connector back in 2004 but did not report the problem until 2009. It was further determined that the overheating of the connector could also pose a fire hazard. In April of 2009, General Electric recalled 28,000 dual fuel ranges because of the hazard. Furthermore, the CPSC has determined that the control board in “Profile” and “Monogram” dishwashers can short circuit as result of the buildup of condensation on the boards. The short circuiting can also pose fire and burn hazards. According to the CPSC, General Electric had known about the problem since 2007 but failed to report the defect to the CPSC until 2010. Instead, the company chose to settle claims and make payments based on reports of defective units. In October of 2010, the company recalled 174,000 units.

Federal law requires manufacturers, distributors and retailers to notify the CPSC immediately after learning of a potential defect in a product that could be hazardous to consumers. Consumers can report a dangerous product by going on line to www.saferproducts.gov or calling the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.